Out of Your Head and Onto Paper: How to Track and Implement Your BIG Ideas

It’s been said (a time or two) that the idea is worthless compared to the implementation. Indeed it’s the flash of brilliance that starts the ball rolling. Certainly all the hard work in the world can’t turn a lame idea into a goldmine, BUT…

If I had a dime for every entrepreneur (or even would-be entrepreneur) who said of the latest big idea, “I had THAT idea 10 years ago!” And if you had done something about it, you would be a millionaire. Too bad about your bright idea that you left on the shelf for someone else to discover and profit from.

So if you take nothing from me (or all the experts at MOMeo Magazine), take this one piece of advice: implementation is everything. Even if all you do is start small and build up from there step-by-step. The key is to stop dreaming and start doing.

How to Track and Implement Your BIG Ideas

Given the sheer number of ideas that entrepreneurs come up with, implementing them is easier said than done. I get that, truly I do. But it’s important to remember that not all ideas are worth implementing right away. That’s why you need a system!

#1: Get It Down – Journal it, doodle it, mindmap it, memo it, voice record it or do whatever it is you need to do to get the idea out. This is where a tracking system like Evernote is useful because you can free form record ideas and use keyword searches to bring them up later.

#2: Gauge Worthiness – Ask yourself, “Is this idea going to move the business forward or serve as a distraction?” Not all ideas are worth implementing period and many don’t necessarily need to be implemented right away. Go back to your core business objectives and use that as a measuring stick to determine if this idea is worth pursing.

#3: Test Feasibility – Determine what implementing the idea would take in time, money and lost opportunities to pursue. Is it simple step to implement it or does it require huge effort? What business opportunities must you sacrifice to focus your energy in this one direction? What are the short and long-term payoffs?

#4: Decide to Do or Ditch – Try to move as quickly as possible from the idea to a decision: do or ditch. Ditching may mean forgetting it altogether or simply putting it on hold. If you choose not to implement right away, you need to create a system for managing those little gems you aren’t yet in a position to do something about, like an idea file.

#5: Establish a Timeline – If you are serious about the idea, get it on your task radar. This is where most entrepreneurs fall down. Instead of implementing, they allow ideas to languish in ‘Someday’ land. Map out the concrete steps and start to work!

About Author

Carla Young, momeomagazine.com Publisher
If there’s living proof that women can have it all – and then some – it’s Carla Young. Building her multiple businesses on a virtual work-at-home model, Carla is an inspiration to other mothers who want to start a lifestyle business.
During her early days as a mom entrepreneur, Carla made every single mistake in the book (and a few new ones for good measure). Realizing that “doing it all” was unhealthy and unsustainable, Carla started by getting organized to the extreme, developing support systems for both her work and family.
After other mothers started asking how they too could enjoy her lifestyle, Carla launched momeomagazine.com to support moms at work, at home and at play (because every mommy deserves a little me-time)!